COP31 President Murat Kurum has called on countries to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit within reach and deliver concrete climate action, warning that even a brief overshoot could cause irreversible loss and damage.
Opening the COP31 Presidency press conference in Antalya, Türkiye, Kurum said countries must accelerate efforts to limit global warming, strengthen climate resilience and address the impacts of climate change.
“We must never give up on the 1.5-degree goal. The Paris Agreement continues to guide us.
“Our duty is to act swiftly to limit the temperature rise, minimise the extent and duration of any overshoot, and return below that threshold,” he said.
Kurum said the climate crisis was being compounded by global challenges, including a strong El Niño event, with the World Food Programme warning that it could push around 50 million more people into acute hunger.
He said adaptation and loss and damage must remain central to the climate agenda, with COP31 focusing on strengthening resilience across sectors, from oceans to cities.
The Presidency will also convene a special ministerial meeting on the second Global Stocktake, which Kurum said must address the implications of exceeding the 1.5-degree threshold and guide efforts to bring global temperatures back below it.
He said the COP31 Presidency was consulting Parties on developing a decision that responds to the challenge of limiting temperature overshoot.
Kurum said the swift adoption of the COP31 agenda had provided a positive start to negotiations, adding that the Presidency wanted decisions to be driven by countries rather than imposed from the top down.
“We will not make decisions from the top down,” he said.
He said the adoption of the Action Agenda was an important step in allowing countries to discuss the targets and move towards implementation.
Kurum also announced the launch of the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption from about 23percent to 35percent by 2035.
He said the recent energy market crisis had exposed the vulnerability of countries dependent on imported fossil fuels, with fuel-importing countries facing an estimated US$330 billion in additional costs between March and August.
As electric technologies become more affordable, Kurum said electrification offered countries an opportunity to reduce exposure to fuel price volatility and supply disruptions.
The pledge focuses on expanding electricity use in transport, buildings and industry, with Türkiye also setting national targets as part of its efforts towards greater energy independence.
Kurum said COP31 must bring political commitment and investment together to accelerate the transition towards more reliable energy, cleaner transport and lower-emission production.
He also welcomed a joint statement by former and current COP presidents, from COP21 to COP31, supporting the COP31 Action Agenda and its targets.
He described the statement as a first in COP history and said the Presidency wanted the Antalya summit to be recognised as an implementation COP.
“We want this to be an implementation COP. We want to get results,” he said.
Kurum said the summit must address climate finance, ensure all countries are involved and recognise their different priorities and starting points.
He said the success of COP31 would ultimately be measured by whether its commitments translated into improvements in people’s lives.
“We want to deliver a COP that allows us to leave Antalya saying, ‘Something changed in Antalya. We achieved results here. We delivered outcomes’,” Kurum said.
“We want people to leave here saying, ‘Yes, these things changed at COP31’,” Karum said.
